Dying Embers

Chapter Eight

    I have a raging headache. Metal bending, screams, fire, heat, blood everything started rushing in my head. James dead. The little girl dead. That mother dead. Who was next? I looked at Bill, and frowned. I was still under the leaf with Jessie. Bill was still giving me dirty looks. I hate Bill. It had stopped raining but there was still cloudy. Good. 

        "Hey River," Carlene said while walking towards me. I looked up at her and smiled. I looked down at Jessie who was asleep on my chest. I yawned loudly and stretched my legs. 

       "Hey...what's up? Any new shows you've been watching?" I asked trying to be funny. She laughed and sat down across me. 

         "Yeah well if we had signal and a tv maybe I would be able to watch my favorite shows," she said laughing softly. I smiled. 

      "What is your favorite show?" I asked. 

"Oh well several...Psych, um and...Drake and Josh," she said slowly. 

      "That's it?" I asked. 

     "I have others but I don't want to name them," she laughed awkwardly. I nodded. If we had a tv I would be watching House right now. Oh well. 

    "So what do you want to do?" She asked. 

         "There is nothing I want to do but everything I need to do. Wait for the sand to dry and then build a fire for signal. Then get us off this damn island."

         "So no fun huh?" 

"No...I grew up too fast in such a short time," I said sadly. 

     "How?" She asked. 

"Just...depression..I lost someone very dear to me and I had to grow up fast to help my mother," I told her. I didn't want to tell her..I don't know why but I didn't want to. 

        "Come on. Let's go to the river," Carlene said getting up. I looked up at her confused. 

"Why?" I asked. 

      "To have fun. You need to loosen up," she said smiling. 

"Um..okay. Later though," I said smiling. She nodded and walked off. Have fun. 

        "Wait Carlene where are you going?" I asked. 

      She turned around. "To the river," she said smiling. I nodded. I watched her as she walked away. When she was gone I looked down at Jessie and saw she was awake. 

       "How long were you awake?" I asked. 

"I don't know," she said smiling. I grinned. 

"Well I got to get up Jessie," I said getting up. She moved off of me and I stood up. She got up and we walked towards the ocean. I sat down on the sand and watched the sunrise. A brilliant orange filled the sky and a few seagulls were flying around. Jessie sat down beside me. 

        "Who did you lose?" Jessie asked me. 

"Oh you heard that didn't you?" I said looking at her. She nodded. 

      "Well...I lost my father Jessie..He died in a fire. Back when I was in my old house in Tennessee. I miss him..Very much," I said sadly. 

      "Do you have any memories with him?" She asked. I looked at Jessie. She had brown curly hair and bright green eyes. She was 6 six years old and very mature for her age. 

     "Yeah I have several memories with him," I said sadly. I didn't want to talk about this. It was too upsetting. Too heartbreaking to think about. Jessie jumped when lightning striked. I looked behind me where I heard the lightning. I watched carefully and waited. After wating for about several minutes I saw smoke rising up in the air. My eyes widen. Oh no. Fire. Carlene was in the forest.